Pakistan: 3 police personnel killed in IED blast in Balochistan

MASTUNG(Pakistan): At least three police personnel died, and 16 others were injured in a blast near a police truck in Mastung, Balochistan, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

According to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind, the explosion occurred on Dasht Road when a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a motorcycle detonated near a truck carrying personnel from the Balochistan Constabulary, a police spokesperson confirmed.

The personnel were en route from RTC Qalat and were tasked to provide security for a Balochistan National Party (BNP) protest.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said that three constabulary personnel were killed in the blast. Of the 16 injured, two are in critical condition, whereas all victims were rushed to nearby hospitals, with the severely wounded being transferred to Quetta for advanced treatment.

“Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, and a detailed report has been requisitioned,” Rind added. Security forces have cordoned off the area as efforts continue to identify the perpetrators of the attack.

Earlier on March 16, Religious scholar and founder of banned group Lashkar-i-Islam, Mufti Munir Shakir, was killed in a bomb blast on Saturday on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, ARY News reported citing police officials.

The incident occurred near the Ormur area, where an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated and injured four people, including Munir. He was rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, officials said.

The Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) said that Mufti Munir Shakir was the target of the attack and that a search operation is currently active in the area, with the police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) teams investigating the case. Shakir was a prominent personality on social media and gained popularity due to his sermons.

Previously, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Samiul Haq (JUI-S) chief Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq was among the three who were killed in the suicide blast that ripped through Akora Khattak’s Darul Uloom Haqqania in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chief secretary and IG chief confirmed on Friday according to ARY News. (ANI)